High-Point Victories for Tomac and Plessinger

After a one-week break, round four of the 2018 AMA Pro Motocross Championship resumed back east in the humid town of Mt. Morris, Pennsylvania and it was Eli Tomac continued his winning streak, earning his fourth straight 450 class overall victory while Aaron Plessinger won the 250 class overall and took over the championship lead.

Eli Tomac

450 Report:

After qualifying with the second fastest lap time, Tomac blasted out of the gate grabbing his first holeshot of the season and held onto the lead for more than half of the race while facing the challenge of the technical track as well as passing lappers as the leaders turned well under two-minute lap times.

Eli Tomac took the holeshot

With six minutes left on the clock, Tomac’s momentum was slowed as he worked his way through traffic and ultimately dropped back to second place behind Marvin Musquin where he remained until the finish line.

Marvin Musquin

In the second moto, Tomac was near the front once again, sitting in third this time around before he went to work grabbing an outside line and passing his two competitors in the iconic High Point rollers on the first lap.

After playing an intense game of cat and mouse with his primary contender for the last few minutes of the race, Tomac cranked out his fastest lap time of the day (1:55.8) and charged across the finish line 1.7 seconds ahead of Musquin to remain undefeated and ending the High Point National on a high note as he finished 2-1 for another overall victory and maintaining his points lead at 28.

Justin Barcia

Eli Tomac

“I really had to earn this one today so it feels great to take the overall win. I felt a little off in the second half of Moto 1 so we made some adjustments and took a look at my lines to see if we could get around the ruts. Moto 2 was a real battle right to the end and leaving here with the win is huge. We’re working hard to keep the red plate and we’ll keep it rolling into Muddy Creek.”

Eli Tomac

Marvin Musquin

“The first moto I was really comfortable behind Eli and I was relaxed but in the second moto I could tell Eli picked better lines, had a better rhythm and he was on it. It was really hard to duplicate the first moto, that’s all. That was my goal but unfortunately, I came up short. Obviously in the first moto I had better lines and I was able to capitalize on that, but not second moto. I gave my best, I fought really hard and the crowd was going crazy all around the track and that’s what we want, we want a battle like that.”

Marvin Musquin

Justin Barcia (3-5) rounded out the podium with two solid rides while Ken Roczen continues to impress with a dead-last to 7th ride in the opening moto before an impressive 3rd in moto two.

Justin Barcia

Ken Roczen – To RacerX

“To be honest, I didn’t feel that great all day today on the track. I wasn’t riding the greatest, by any means, but I got up to seventh and that’s fine. I’m just glad that we made it through that healthy. For the second moto, I told Oscar [Weidman, mechanic] I’m going to holeshot. No doubt in my mind. I pulled a big old holey. So I was stoked about that. I tried to run up in the front. I did a couple of mistakes, obviously, but Eli [Tomac] and I went back and forth. I just wasn’t having it. I had to fade back big-time. I wasn’t too comfortable out there. Being bummed at myself is better than being hurt on the sidelines, so I’ll take that.”

250 Report

As impressive as Aaron Plessinger was at High Point the opposite has to be said of the day that the Geico Honda team had with point’s leader Jeremy Martin’s CRF250R shitting itself while leading the second moto just after his teammates Chase Sexton’s bike did the same.

Aaron Plessinger

Plessinger blitzed the opening moto ahead of Martin, Justin Cooper, Austin Forkner and Jordan Smith but in the second moto it was all Jeremy Martin until his bike stopped handing the win to Plessinger who finished well ahead of Forkner, Dylan Ferrandis, Cooper and Alex Martin.

Plessinger now has a 20 point lead over Jeremy Martin who in turn has a 10 point lead over his brother Alex while Cooper and Forkner round out the top 5.

250 Overall

Aaron Plessinger (Yam)–1-1

Austin Forkner (Kaw)–4-2

Justin Cooper (Yam)–3-4

Dylan Ferrandis (Yam)–8-3

RJ Hampshire (Hon)–7-7

Shane McElrath (KTM)–9-6

Jordan Smith (KTM)–5-10

Alex Martin (KTM)–12-5

Brandon Hartranft (Yam)–11-8

Jeremy Martin (Hon)–2-33

Michael Mosiman (Hus)–13-9

Sean Cantrell (KTM)–15-12

Joey Savatgy (Kaw)–6-34

Luke Renzland (Yam)–17-11

Mitchell Harrison (Hus)–14-14

Chase Sexton (Hon)–10-38

250 Points after 4 of 12 Rounds

Aaron Plessinger (Yam)–171

Jeremy Martin (Hon)–151

Alex Martin (KTM)–141

Justin Cooper (Yam)–136

Austin Forkner (Kaw)-116

Zach Osborne (Hus)–105

Jordan Smith (KTM)–104

RJ Hampshire (Hon)–100

Shane McElrath (KTM)–91

Chase Sexton (Hon)–76

Cody Cooper Continues to Impress at High-Point

If Kiwi motocrosser Cody Cooper was a teenager he would be the hottest property in the world of motocross after a stunning start to the 2018 AMA Motocross Championship where the 35 year old has strung together a series of solid rides to be sitting 10th overall in the series.

Cody Cooper

The multi Australian and New Zealand motocross champion scored 13th overall at the opening round at Hangtown then backed that up with 10th and 14th overall at Glen Helen and Thunder Valley before a solid 9th overall at High Point last weekend – all this on his own privateer Honda CRF450R finishing ahead of many of the more fancied and much younger future stars.

Durham Wins 125 All-Star Race at High Point

Round three of the 125cc All-Star race was held at the 2018 High Point National and the favourite for the win was Wil Hahn who placed third in the first round at Hangtown before dominating the second round in Thunder Valley but at High Point Darryn Durham took the win over Hahn by over five seconds.

125cc All-Stars Top 10

D. Durham (159)

W. Hahn (69)

M. Shine (381)

S. Roman (731)

L. VonLinger (812)

J. Cokinos (444)

N. Willbrandt (54)

D. Raible (213)

J. Haines (21)

D. Lippman (356)

Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geoma

Mees Wins in Oklahoma City

Defending Grand National Champion Jared Mees has won the latest round of the AFT Twins American Flat Track Championship at Remington Park in Oklahoma City by over 12 seconds.

Jared Mees – OKC Miles Oklahoma – AFT 2018

Mees now boasts 37 career victories, moving him equal with Kenny Coolbeth Jr for fifth all-time. The win also gives him 10 career Mile victories, also elevating him alongside Coolbeth to rank eighth all-time in that category.

Jared Mees

“None of these races are easy, but I got a good start compared to last year and was just able to run my own race and not get caught up in the spray. I had some really good lines, I guess. I looked back a couple times just to see if somebody was catching me or if other lines were starting to work, but the motorcycle worked so phenomenally tonight. Big hats off to my guys for having the bike totally dialed in, allowing me to check out like that… I get along so well with this motorcycle, and my team gets better and better with it each weekend. Believe it or not, we come back with what we learn and get better each weekend.”

Jared Mees – OKC Miles Oklahoma – AFT 2018

When asked if he could be stopped, he said:

“I don’t know. Don’t get me wrong – these guys are strong. These guys are talented riders. I’ve got to come beat them every weekend just like they try to beat me. I can be beat, but I’m just gelling with what I’ve got going, honestly.”

Another rider who continues to break beyond preconceived notions of his talents is Henry Wiles who once again demonstrated his long track skills, racing to a clear runner-up result ahead of Brad Baker and Bryan Smith.

Henry Wiles – OKC Miles Oklahoma – AFT 2018

Not surprisingly, Mees is well on his way to back-to-back AFT Twins championship victories as he currently leads the championship at the season’s halfway point by 59 points, 195 to Wiles’ 136.

Max Whale Top Five in Oklahoma AFT Singles

While AFT Singles point’s leader Dan Bromley extended his advantage with his third victory of the season in Oklahoma City but it was Australia’s Max Whale who turned many heads with a top five finish on his privateer Kawasaki KXF450.

Max Whale’s Kawasaki – AFT Singles

Bromley came out on top of a three-way scrap for the win with Ryan Wells and Shayna Texter and after 14 laps of action it looked to be anyone’s race when the white flag flew but Bromley was perfect on his final go-round while Wells and Texter tripped each other up as they both looked to line Bromley up for one final draft pass. Wells managed to hold on for second, 0.192 seconds behind the winner, while Texter finished third, another 0.012 seconds back.

Bromley, who now boasts a 46-point advantage over second-ranked Wells.

Dan Bromley

“At the start I was way back in the pack. I couldn’t see anything coming off the front straightaway. But I knew if I put my head down and just held it wide open around the outside I could catch up to them. Thankfully enough, everyone was riding down low, and I found a real nice line up around the top. It almost bermed up a little bit, which helped me out a bunch. I can’t thank my whole team enough. To be able to come here and win is just amazing… To be able to win a Mile with my height and everything definitely shows we’re here for the championship.”

Dan Bromley – OKC Miles Oklahoma – AFT 2018

After struggling with a Mile tracks over the last month or so Max Whale had a ding-dong battle with reigning class champion Kolby Carlile for fourth place with Carlile just slipping ahead of Whale on the line.

Straight Rhythm 2018 to be Two-Stroke Only

It has been reported that the annual Red Bull Straight Rhythm will become a two-stroke only event after the success of the class in the 2017 where Chad Reed, Ran Villopoto and Ronnie Mac were slated as the favourites before Gared Steinke took the win.

Stewart and Roczen – Straight Rhythm 2015

Time will tell if the two-stroke only format will revitalise the event’s popularity or if the novelty race dwindles its way into obscurity.

Cairoli and Prado Dominate MXGP of Lombardia

The 11th round of the 2018 FIM Motocross World Championship was held at the Ottobiano circuit in the Lombardia region of Italy and it was Antonio Cairoli and Jorge Prado taking the MXGP and MX2 overall wins respectively and gaining precious championship points in the process.

MXGP 2018 Lombardia – Start

MXGP Report

With championship leader Jeffrey Herlings injured Cairoli was extremely keen to score maximum points and got that goal off to a great start with the Italian dominating the opening moto to take the win well ahead of Clement Desalle was second, then Max Anstie, Gautier Paulin, Romain Febvre and Tim Gajser

MXGP 2018 – Lombardia Round 11 – Gautier Paulin

In the second moto Cairoli worked his way to the front from a top five start however he went down on lap two allowing Kevin Strijbos, Gasjer and Desalle to pass but Cairoli would not be denied and went back to work quickly after his fall and made one pass a lap for each of the next three laps to take the lead and the eventual win ahead of Gajser, Paulin, Anstie, and Seewer.

MXGP 2018 – Lombardia Round 11 – Antonio Cairoli

In the overall standings Cairoli’s perfect 1-1 scored the maximum 50 points while Paulin and Anstie tied at 38 points with Paulin taking 2nd and Anstie 3rd. The final result has cut the championship lead of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings to only 12 while both Paulin and Anstie achieved their season best results.

MXGP 2018 – Lombardia Round 11 – Max Anstie

Antonio Cairoli

“Overall it was a good weekend. I’m taking home 50 points which is very important for the championship. We are looking forward to Indonesia, it will be a hot race which I like so hopefully we will be back on the podium which is always the goal.”

MXGP 2018 – Lombardia Round 11 – Antonio Cairoli

Gautier Paulin

“I feel good, most of the track is tough but I like it. Today was not easy, I had two bad starts, and had to come from the back of the pack. I had a good feeling and I’m happy to go back home with a second place.”

MXGP 2018 – Lombardia Round 11 – Gautier Paulin

Max Anstie

“It’s nice to have got it done today and turn the page, hopefully now we can keep the ball rolling and it is just nice to be here on the podium with the guys. Overall I’m pleased with the riding… I’m looking forward to Indonesia.”

MXGP 2018 – Lombardia Round 11 – Max Anstie

MXGP Race 1 Top Ten

Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 34:04.005

Clement Desalle (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:11.624

Max Anstie (GBR, Husqvarna), +0:21.192

Gautier Paulin (FRA, Husqvarna), +0:27.214

Romain Febvre (FRA, Yamaha), +0:33.700

Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +0:35.927

Maximilian Nagl (GER, TM), +0:39.137

Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Yamaha), +0:52.351

Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), +1:00.663

Valentin Guillod (SUI, KTM), +1:08.131
…20. Todd Waters, (AUS, HON)

MXGP Race 2 Top Ten

Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 34:38.105

Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +0:03.560

Gautier Paulin (FRA, Husqvarna), +0:08.496

Max Anstie (GBR, Husqvarna), +0:16.600

Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Yamaha), +0:19.628

Romain Febvre (FRA, Yamaha), +0:32.708

Kevin Strijbos (BEL, KTM), +0:35.614

Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Yamaha), +0:46.022

Maximilian Nagl (GER, TM), +0:52.311

Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Suzuki), +1:01.851

MXGP 2018 – Lombardia Round 11 – MXGP Podium

MXGP Overall Top Ten

Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 50 points

Gautier Paulin (FRA, HUS), 38

Max Anstie (GBR, HUS), 38

Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 37

Romain Febvre (FRA, YAM), 31

Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 29

Maximilian Nagl (GER, TM), 26

Clement Desalle (BEL, KAW), 23

Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 22

Kevin Strijbos (BEL, KTM), 21
…22. Todd Waters, (AUS, HON), 1

MXGP Championship Top Ten

Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 486 points

Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 474

Clement Desalle (BEL, KAW), 374

Romain Febvre (FRA, YAM), 354

Gautier Paulin (FRA, HUS), 334

Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 332

Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 289

Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 255

Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, YAM), 240

Maximilian Nagl (GER, TM), 203
…27. Todd Waters, (AUS, HON), 1

MX2 Report

The opening moto saw Prado earn yet another holeshot with Thomas Covington hot on his heels and on lap seven the American took the lead and the eventual win over Prado, Pauls Jonass, Ben Watson and Thomas Kjer Olsen.

MXGP 2018 – Lombardia Round 11 – Jorge Prado

MX2’s second race looked nearly identical out of the first turn with Prado taking the holeshot and Covington second but this time the diminutive KTM pilot took flight and opened up a substantial lead to take the win well ahead of Olsen, Jonass and Covington.

MXGP 2018 – Lombardia Round 11 – Thomas Covington

Prado’s victory cuts the championship lead of Jonass to only 9 points as the series will head to Indonesia in two-week time.

Jorge Prado

“It was a really good weekend for me, I could manage to take the win going 2nd and 1st so I’m really happy about that. Last year here wasn’t the best but this year made it to the podium and took the win.”

MXGP 2018 – Lombardia Round 11 – Jorge Prado & Pauls Jonass

Thomas Covington

“The weekend overall felt really good starting on Saturday, I just had a nice flow around the track and I felt really comfortable with the bike. It was awesome.”

MXGP 2018 – Lombardia Round 11 – Thomas Covington

Pauls Jonass

“This weekend didn’t really go as good as I wanted, I really struggled on the track. In free and time practice I felt good but in the races I couldn’t find my flow or a rhythm so I was really fighting with the track. Physically I felt really good but it was just difficult to hang on. It is still a long season and we still have 9 races to go so nothing is over… for sure it is going to be a fun championship because anything can happen.”

MXGP 2018 – Lombardia Round 11 – Pauls Jonass

Aussie Hunter Lawrence finished 11th in the opening moto after a 15th place start and it didn’t get any better in the second moto with the Honda rider completing the first lap in 25th before storming through to 12th place for 12th outright on the day to now sit 14th in the championship with 9 rounds remaining.

Hunter Lawrence

“I did the best I could but overall I struggled big time this weekend, with what was an extremely gnarly track. I’ll keep working and look forward to the next rounds. The weekend off should benefit me as it’ll allow me to rest up a bit more and I’ll hopefully come back strong for Indonesia.”

Waters Returns for MXGP of Lombardia

The 11th round of the 2018 FIM Motocross World Championship in Italy marked Australia’s Todd Waters return to racing after his debut as the teams stand in rider at the Latvian GP four weeks ago ended with a broken collarbone and with very little bike time and a lack of race fitness the MXGP of Lombardia was always going to be more a toe in the water exercise rather than a full on race assault.

MXGP 2018 – Lombardia Round 11 – Todd Waters – Image by Bavo

In the opening moto of the day Waters’ performance was compromised at the very beginning as he went down at turn one after a coming together with a rival but the 28-year-old managed to get back on the bike to earn a 20th place finish before running as high as twelfth in the second moto before retiring during the fifth lap due to a crash.

Todd Waters

“I fell off the back of the bike through the rollers in race two and caught the bike on the inside of my leg. I picked the bike up and everyone went past, so I tried to continue but I couldn’t ride the way I wanted and the pain was there and increasing, and since I wasn’t fast enough to come through the pack I opted for an early retirement – instead of risking another crash. Until then it wasn’t too bad, I felt good on the bike and I was riding much better, I just crashed. I lost a lot of strength in my upper body due to the injury and that made me struggle throughout the races – and generally speaking I’m nowhere as fit as the other riders, who have done winter testing and half a season more than me. But we’ll use the time from here to Indonesia to get as fit as we can, then do it all over again!”

MXGP 2018 – Lombardia Round 11 – Todd Waters

Herlings Injured and Misses MXGP of Lombardia

MXGP championship leader Jeffrey Herlings missed the Italian Grand Prix last weekend after breaking his collarbone and two ribs in a practice crash leading up to the event and at the time of writing is recuperating from a procedure at renowned surgeon Dr Claes’ clinic to fix a fracture near a plate that was inserted for a previous injury.

Jeffrey Herlings

Jeffrey Herlings has mentioned on his social media that he will be riding again next week and ready for Indonesia.

Jeffrey Herlings

“Little bump in the road, we won’t be there this weekend for the fight but we won’t give up on the war. If everything is going according to plan then we will be back on the bike by next weekend.”

MXGP of Hong Kong in 2019

Youthstream, Promoters of the FIM Motocross World Championship (MXGP) have announced that the championship will have a round in Singapore for the next three years, beginning in 2019.

2019 MXGP round in Hong Kong announced

The announcement, made in Italy, was given by Youthstream President Giuseppe Luongo, who was joined by FIM Europe President, Dr. Wolfgang Srb, FIM/CMS Director, Tony Skillington, Moonmoto Hong Kong CEO & organizer of the MXGP of Hong Kong, Ashley Zeak Yutt Sauk, and Moonmoto Hong Kong Partner, Pier Carlo Bottero.

The event that will be in the MXGP Calendar for 3 years starting from 2019 was announced as one of the twenty rounds planned for the 2019 season and will be scheduled together with the 2019 MXGP of China in Shanghai.

Giuseppe Luongo

“MXGP is growing in many aspects, racing is amazing, facilities and paddock are more and more outstanding and the interest from national organizers is increasing year by year showing the rise of our Championship all over the world. I’m really pleased about the agreement we reached Ashley Zeak Yutt Sauk for the Organization of the MXGP of Hong Kong. Hong Kong is one of the greatest places in Asia and to bring MXGP in this fantastic city is something unique. I wish to thank Moonmoto Hong Kong and Ashley Zeak Yutt Sauk for the Organization of this prime event.”

Wolfgang Srb – FIM Europe President

“It’s always a big pleasure to be here with Youthstream to announce these big events. South East Asia is growing and the interest in motocross is getting amazing there, to be there with Motocross World Championship is incredible. From experience we know the cooperation will bring to big success especially for the growth of the sport. This is why I’m very happy to be here with all of you to make this great event possible.”

“I’m very happy to be here in Italy attending this MXGP in Ottobiano and I’m very proud to announce MOONMOTO LTD will host MXGP in Hong Kong, the wildest sport in one of the best areas in the world. MOONMOTO is working hard to make the best event ever in Hong Kong, we are expecting a lot of public and attention from local authorities. The MXGP of Hong Kong will be a huge event and people from Hong Kong will simply be enthusiastic. The Support for all riders and teams will be immense and all foreigners will enjoy our hospitality. A special thanks goes to Giuseppe Luongo, Wolfgang Srb and Tony Skillington to believe in our project. If you dream it you can make it.”

Jett Lawrence Impressive at Lombardia EMX250 Class

After a dramatic weekend of racing Queenslander Jett Lawrence has notched up his first moto win in the EMX250 championship class at the MXGP of Lombardia.

Jett Lawrence

Having set the pace in free practice the Team Germany Suzuki rider finished in 10th place in the opening moto, which was won by New Zealand’s Dylan Walsh but the 14-year-old then came out of the gates firing in the second moto and after a top five start Jett moved by Steven Clarke for the lead and left the Brit behind over the next thirteen laps to take a six second win.

Jett Lawrence

“I got a better start, I didn’t go in so fast on the turn this time, I was behind Dylan Walsh, and he tucked the front which was bad luck for him but good luck for me, I just saw an opening, so I took it. Not the best first moto, the second I just wanted to push, my main goal was to try and get a race win, and I did, and I am so pumped with this. It is amazing.”

With many riders having one good moto and one average one this saw the Queenslander make the final step of the podium with third overall for the round. Lawrence now sits 17th in the championship standings.

Duncan Extends WMX Championship Lead

Courtney Duncan has extended her lead in the FIM Women’s Motocross World Championship at last weekend’s MXGP of Lombardia where the Kiwi flyer went 2-2 to take her point’s advantage to 21.

Duncan Courtney

Duncan is fiercely competitive and never happy with second best but she conceded that the most important job at this later stage of the championship is to protect and grow her points.

Courtney Duncan

“Italy was not my best weekend. First moto I made a small mistake on the opening laps which made me really have to work for it. I made my way back to second right behind the leader. It was frustrating because I felt I let that win slip away but we didn’t give up and limited the points damage, so from that side I’m happy. Moto two we were up first thing so the track was completely flat and very fast which didn’t favour me but no excuses. It shows I need to be better in the easier conditions and really work on my intensity in the first half of the race, as I feel like those are two of my weak points at the moment. However 2-2 on a difficult weekend we can be happy with and actually I extended my lead from 15 points to 21 in the standings, so from a championship perspective that’s a real positive. Obviously we can be better but I like the position I’m in and excited about the final two rounds.”

Victory 99 for Bou at Andorra

Repsol Honda Team rider, Toni Bou, triumphed in the Andorra TrialGP, the third round of the world championship, taking his victory tally to a record ninety-nine wins.

TrialGP of Andorra 2018 – Toni Bou

It was the second victory of the season for Bou and a win to relish, not only because it represents a win on ‘home soil’ in Andorra where he resides, but also because the Repsol Honda Team rider equals the ninety-nine win record of seven times world champion Dougie Lampkin. Bou, in addition, extends his advantage in the overall standings to seven points over immediate rival Jeroni Fajardo.

The next stop for TrialGP World Championship takes place next weekend in the town of Gouveia, in Portugal. The Senhora dos Verdes Park will host this, the fourth date of the trial outdoor calendar.

Toni Bou

“I am very happy with this victory here in Andorra. It’s been a tough weekend, with lots of nerves and a lot of pressure, but we’ve finally won. Today I felt very good on the bike and my back did not bother me, which is very positive to be able to continue improving like that. This is a very important victory both for the championship and for my morale. To reach victory number ninety-nine is impressive and now we have to work to achieve one hundred victories. I keep saying that this will be a very complicated year for me but we will continue fighting.”

TrialGP of Andorra 2018 – Toni Bou

TrialGP of Andorra 2018 results

Toni BOU

Albert CABESTANY

Jeroni FAJARDO

Jaime BUSTO

Adam RAGA

TrialGP of Andorra 2018 – Podium

Championship Standings

BOU Toni – 70

FAJARDO Jeroni – 63

BUSTO Jaime – 61

RAGA Adam – 54

CABESTANY Albert – 46

David Knight to Race Weston Beach Race with Suzuki

‘Knighter’, a multi-time winner of the long-standing Somerset event in the UK, was runner-up in the solo race in 2017 and is confident that this new partnership with Geoff Walker’s SR75 Suzuki team will provide him with everything he needs to challenge for the win this time around.

David Knight

“I’m very happy to be riding for the SR75 Suzuki team for Weston 2018. I tested the all-new 2018 machine and knew it was the right bike to tackle the job on straight away which is very rare for me. I love the chassis and the motor as it’s a very easy bike to ride which is the most important thing for me along with reliability because Weston isn’t kind. I’ve known Geoff for years and, like myself, he leaves no stone unturned and runs a great team with amazing support from the crew at Suzuki GB and – most of all – he makes it fun which is what I really need out of a team, so I can’t wait.”

David Knight

Knight has already taken delivery of his practice bike and won the Douglas Beach Race, on the Isle of Man, on his first outing last week. Meanwhile, team owner Walker is preparing a full beach-race specification SR75 RM-Z450.

Geoff Walker

“To sign David is fantastic for us as a team and for Suzuki GB as a brand. I have worked and raced with David for years and it is great to have this legend as part of our programme. We are looking forward to having a lot of fun and putting in the work to enjoy every domestic and global adventure as we move forward with the development of the incredible RM-Z450. This bike is key to signing David as the man loved it from the first moment we fired it up. There are many exciting times ahead for SR75 Suzuki and, as always, we would like to thank Rob Cooper and the Suzuki GB crew who make it possible for all of us to enjoy our sport and show just how great their products are.”

Kale Makeham joins Penrite-Pirelli CRF Honda Racing

Kale Makeham will join the Penrite-Pirelli CRF Honda Racing outfit to replace injured Jackson Richardson for the second half of the Pirelli MX Nationals season for 2018.
The 24 year old, ex-Australian Supercross Champion has been riding as a privateer this season and currently sits in 10th place in the MX2 Class.

Kale Makeham

“I couldn’t be more excited to join the Penrite-Pirelli CRF Honda Racing team. After a year away from the sport last year, it was a goal of mine to secure a team ride coming back into it this year, so it’s a dream come true to achieve that with such a highly regarded team. I am extremely grateful that Mark Luksich has given me this offer and I plan on working extremely hard in my preparation for the upcoming races and to make the most of my time with the team.”

Kale Makeham to Penrite-Pirelli CRF Honda Racing team for second half of MX Nationals 2018

Team principal, Mark Luksich is very pleased with the partnership.

Mark Luksich – Team Principal

“It’s always difficult mid-season to find a suitable replacement rider and put all in place to make it work. I felt we really owe it to our great sponsors and it’s nice to give another hard working rider a break. Kale has already shown some strong results this season and is definitely hungry to prove himself. We look forward to having him join us and at the same time I want to make sure Jackson remains close by so we can support his return from injury.”

Makeham has been testing in Sydney in preparation for Round 6 of the season, held on the 1st July in Conondale Qld.

Newcastle International SuperMoto Set For Father’s Day

The Newcastle International SuperMoto event has showcased some of the World’s best Supermoto action around one of the Australia’s most picturesque cities and for 2018 the Newcastlebased event will be held on Father’s Day in September.

Graeme Boyd – CEO of the Newcastle International SuperMoto

“On the Father’s Day weekend, September 1-2, there will be tens of thousands of people here on the Newcastle Foreshore watching the fourth year of the Newcastle International SuperMoto, with hundreds of thousands more watching across Australia and around the world on our live-stream broadcast.”

Champion riders from China, New Zealand, France, Indonesia, the Philippines, Japan, USA, Germany, the UK, Singapore, Malaysia and of course Australia will be racing at the Newcastle International SuperMoto.

Riders from across the motorcycle racing spectrum will be competing to be considered the Best of the Best – World Champions like Troy Bayliss, Jason Crump, Shayne King, FIM Asia SuperMoto Champion Lewis Cornish, four time USA SuperMoto champion Gage McAllister and current FIM Oceania champion Adam Miller.

The 2018 event will see both the Australian SuperMoto Championship run on the Saturday and the FIM Oceania SuperMoto Championship on the Sunday, with big crowds expected both days.

“We’re really pushing hard to reach out as we’re [Newcastle] identifying as an emerging global city and to do that we need to be hosting events that have a global audience like Supermoto”, Nemes said at the launch of the event. “We are a Free event because of the generosity of the New South Wales Government through Destination NSW and the people of Newcastle City and its Council.”

Promoters added that the reach of the Newcastle International SuperMoto goes way beyond the 50,000 spectators expected at the event with live-stream and post-event TV coverage reaching a potential audience of over 1 billion people. Previous Newcastle SuperMoto have been viewed by over 20 million people across Australia, Asia, Europe, the USA and South America.

Grandstand upgrade tickets will be available for sale from June 14 through Moshtix.

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